A total of 54 people, including four males, were rescued from human trafficking in Japan last year, up 29 from the previous year, a government report said Friday.
Some had been forced into prostitution and slavery, with Filipinos comprising the bulk of those rescued at 30, followed by 13 Japanese and 10 Thais.
The four males rescued had been victims of forced bondage.
The annual report was approved Friday during a meeting of Cabinet ministers called to discuss the prevention of human trafficking. The government said releasing the data will help raise public awareness of the practice.
"Human trafficking is not just a serious human rights violation, but also a significant international problem," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who chaired the meeting at the Prime Minister's Office.
The meeting was attended by relevant ministers including Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and National Public Safety Commission Chairman Taro Kono.
The annual report, the second of its kind, was issued following the adoption of an action plan to fight human trafficking in December 2014 that called for the reinforcement of immigration controls and more support for trafficking victims.